@ youtube - If﻿ a believer has in his vocabulary the word "impossible"? should be kicked in the ass: by a church or by a mosque or by a synagogue, or by etc. ... Why do people, that claim to believe in God can not have in his vocabulary the word "impossible. " In fact, everything is possible for those who believe: in Jesu's name: alleluia. enlightened I am King of Israel! I am will came!

Central African Republic conflict 'political not religious'
Published: January 17 2014
CAR's Protestant leader says fighting is for access to resources
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Nicolas Guerékoyamé-Gbangou says fighting between members of the disbanded Séléka rebel group and the anti-balaka self-defense militias is not a battle between Muslims and Christians.
hdptcar / Flickr / Creative Commons
The man chosen to lead what he says is 51% of the population of the Central African Republic (CAR) its Protestants says that the conflict in the country has nothing to do with religion.
Nicolas Guerékoyamé-Gbangou a guest lecturer at London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) this week said that fighting between members of the disbanded Séléka rebel group and the anti-balaka (anti-machete) self-defence militias is not a battle between Muslims and Christians.
"There is no Christian militia and there is no Muslim militia as well… This conflict is not religious at all" he said explaining that the anti-balaka militias developed from local village self-defence groups originally formed against cattle rustlers and bandits. He added that around 90 per cent of Séléka was comprised of foreign nationals from neighbouring Chad and Sudan.
It has been widely reported in the media that the conflict has taken a clear religious tone with the Séléka group referred to as an Islamist force bent on turning the country into an Islamic state and the anti-balaka called a 'Christian' militia.
However Guerékoyamé-Gbangou says the conflict is really a battle for control of the country's resource-rich northeast.
"Most of our resources are concentrated in the northeast in the region of [CAR's former president] Michel Djotodia" he said. "This is what led to the rebellion in the northeast. It has been neglected for decades. And [fighting over this region] started in the colonial period so what does it have to do with Christianity or Islam? People want to exploit the natural resources but don't want to develop the region because if it is developed it would appeal to lots of people and there would be more investors. [The leaders in the capital] prefer to leave the region like it is so that only the strong ones will have access to the resources."
Nicolas Guerékoyamé-Gbangou says the conflict is really a battle for control of the country's resource-rich northeast.
World Watch Monitor
Guerékoyamé-Gbangou added that it would be wrong to consider the CAR to be split solely between Christians and Muslims.
"There aren't just Christians and Muslims" he said. "There are also animists Buddhists and people from other religions as well. The conflict is not religious; it is political. Those who led the country did not share resources and wealth."
After the lecture he was asked why if CAR's Christian comprise over 76% of the population (with he says 29% of them being Catholic and the rest Protestant Evangelical) the country has all the seeds for a genocide according to the Director of Operations for the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).
In response the Head of the Evangelical Alliance said most committed Christians have not been actively involved in politics in CAR for the past 20 years and so have not been able to be influential in the governance of the country. He lamented that fact saying that was why he himself is an active member of Parliament.
While he was in London World Watch Monitor facilitated Rev. Nicolas Guerekoyame-Gbangou's extended interview for BBC World Service's programme 'Outlook' on Mon January 20 2014. bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01prcsr first broadcast 1206 GMT.
(BBC WS is also re-broadcast on many FM stations worldwide – please check local media).
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Bomb scare reignites Christian fear in northern Mali. Published: January 16 2014
Congregants forced to meet in school; explosives found nearby
Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on google_plusone_shareShare on redditMore Sharing Services6. The city of Gao was left badly damaged during the conflict between Malian forces and the Tuareg-led Islamist group last year.
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Christians in a city in northern Mali already forced to hold services in a school classroom because their church was looted and not ready to host meetings had a bomb scare on Sunday (Jan. 12).
Military personnel patrolling the area in Gao on Sunday morning discovered explosives near the school. French army personnel were able to safely defuse the devices and authorities are now investigating but the incident left church members shocked.
The pastor of the church whose identity is being withheld to protect his security told World Watch Monitor there is "insecurity in all aspects of life" at the moment but that his congregation was refusing to panic.
"I cannot say for sure that the bomb was intended to hurt us Christians" he said. "I only know that the location of the bomb was right next to our place of worship and also a route frequently used by the military."
It is just over a year now since French troops ousted the Tuareg-led Islamist group which had taken over northern Mali and declared independence aiming to impose Islamic law on cities such as Gao.
On January 11 last year French troops moved to regain control of the region after the Islamist militants had attempted to progress further south.
For nearly a year the armed Islamist groups had ruled the region banning the practice of other religions and desecrating and looting churches and other places of worship.
Thousands including many Christians fled the occupation and found refuge in the south of the country or in neighbouring countries such as Niger and Burkina Faso.
After the French helped the Malian forces to regain control of the region the re-establishment of security took time and necessitated mass reconstruction as many displaced people returned home.
A number of public buildings were destroyed during the conflict including schools health clinics ancient monuments hotels and restaurants.
The pastor of the church in Gao told World Watch Monitor that around 50 members of his congregation have returned home in recent months.
"We came back because we want to revive the testimony of Christ here in our hometown" he said. "Despite the insecurity in all aspects of life we want everyone to return here and together to work for our God who loves us so much."
Mali fell from 7th to 33rd on the 2014 World Watch List which ranks the 50 countries where practising Christianity is most fraught.
Following the French military intervention last year "the threat of an Islamist takeover has been averted at least temporarily" reported this year's World Watch List which was compiled by Christian charity Open Doors International.
However the list reports that the presence and infrastructure of Christianity in the north was largely destroyed and that rebuilding a Christian presence will be difficult because many Christians who fled the north are afraid to return.
"Even though most Malian Christians (constituting less than 5% of the population) live in the south of the country they feel threatened by Islamists in the north and fear of a new uprising remains" reports the list.

Old wine new skin? Published: January 16 2014 by Markus Tozman
Analysis: Egypt's new constitution contains welcome ideas but no guarantee they will be followed. Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on google_plusone_shareShare on redditMore Sharing Services3
Vote counting in an Alexandria polling station.
Imogen Anderson via Twitter (@Imo_Anderson)
Analysis by Markus Tozman
For the second time in 13 months Egyptians have approved a new constitution. Compared to the constitution they just tossed aside the new charter promises Christians a stronger standing and better representation than ever in the history of the Arab Republic. Coptic Pope Tawadros II and other Christian leaders endorsed it.
After the brief but disastrous rule of the Muslim Brotherhood the new constitution is cause for optimism to be sure but the document by itself won't change the situation for Christians in Egypt. Like other national charters it announces principles of religious freedom. But Egypt also needs lawmakers and judges who establish and interpret laws in line with the constitution's ideals. Here the future is not as clear: The new constitution promises Christians a place in its legislative assemblies for example but not in its courts.
Even so early returns indicate the new constitution has won overwhelming approval even as many of the supporters of the former Islamist regime of the Muslim Brotherhood and ousted president Mohamed Morsi sat out the vote in protest.
Egypt's new constitution represents yet another swing of the pendulum since the revolution of 2011 that toppled autocrat President Hosni Mubarak. The Muslim Brotherhood mobilised 13 million voters in June 2012 to elect Morsi who supervised work on a new constitution. Work on the document lagged as frustrated Christians and other liberal elements dropped out of the Islamist-dominated drafting assembly. Late in 2012 Morsi ordered the remaining delegates to finish their work in one night and pushed the draft out for a quick vote.
Widespread anti-Morsi protests backed the military's removal of the president in July. The Muslim Brotherhood was outlawed and work began on a new constitution.
The new charter reflects the desire to undo Muslim Brotherhood influence and expresses an ultra-nationalism that idealises the army as the protector of the people's will. As many Egyptians pointed out voting in favour of the new constitution was an endorsement of the June 2012 revolution that drove out Morsi. The new constitution is a nationalist project intended to counter the Brotherhood's Islamist policies and focuses on the unity of the Egyptian people bringing together Islam's crescent and Christianity's cross. Consequently supporters of the revolution would have been seen as traitors to the nationalist cause if they had voted against the document.
Highlighting the government's appeal to national unity Egypt's interim president Adly Mansour visited the Coptic Papal Seat at Saint Mark's Cathedral the first Egyptian head of state to do so in more than 40 years. This gesture did not go unnoticed; Pope Tawadros endorsed the new constitution and urged Copts to vote in favour of it.
The new constitution has one major element in common with the document it replaces: It establishes Sharia as the principle source of legislation. But there is a difference.
Prior to the Brotherhood's ascension to power in 2012 the interpretation of the "principles of Sharia" had been left to the courts. The 2012 constitution specifies in Article 219 that the principles "include general evidence the foundational principles of Islamic jurisprudence (usul ul-fiqh) and the reliable sources from among the Sunni schools of thoughts (madhahib)". The potential consequences were far-reaching; Article 219 allowed Sharia law to penetrate all spheres of social and personal life paving the way for literal and archaic interpretations of Sharia as well as application of punishment.
The new constitution removes Article 219.
It also removes Article 212 which had granted the government far-reaching powers to control endowments and thus church finances and by extension their operations and social services. By removing Article 212 the new constitution takes the power of the church purse away from a government that will continue to be dominated by Muslims in a country where Islam remains the state religion.
Both the old and new constitutions ostensibly guarantee the independence of Christian and Jewish religious affairs and several new articles theoretically imply greater religious freedom. Article 64 sets forth the "absolute" freedom of belief (instead of the "inviolable" freedom established in the previous document) though it is restricted it to the Abrahamic religions leaving Baha'i Shia atheists and agnostics without constitutional cover. Article 74 prohibits the founding of religious political parties and parties that discriminate against "sex origin sect or geographic location". Article 53 promises all "citizens are equal before the law possess equal rights and public duties and may not be discriminated against on the basis of religion belief sex origin race colour language disability social class political or geographical affiliation or for any other reason".
An activist who works closely with persecuted Christians in the countryside said the addition of Article 63 which forbids forced displacement of citizens is especially welcome. Since the 1990s the state has turned a blind eye to displaced Christians in Upper Egypt and other rural regions. Under threat of violence and faced with massive repression and discrimination by Islamists tens of thousands of Christians had forcibly been displaced.
Constitutions typically confine themselves to broad principles and usually are not the place for the detail of carrying them out. But Egypt's new charter speaks to several specific Christian concerns.
In contrast to the previous constitution for example the new constitution acknowledges the cultural and historic status of Christians and grants them greater political representation. In both the preamble and in Article 50 it refers to the cultural and historic heritage of the "Church of Jesus" and the Copts in particular. Article 244 enshrines "appropriate representation in the first House of Representatives" for Christians among other minorities. Article 180 reiterates this principle on the level of local councils.
The new constitution also tackles one of the most enduring and sensitive issues for Egypt's Christians: Church building and renovation permits. Article 235 promises that "in its first legislative term after this Constitution comes into effect the House of Representatives shall issue a law to organise building and renovating churches guaranteeing Christians the freedom to practice their religious rituals". It's the first time in Egypt's history that a constitution has addressed this issue.
It is worrisome then that such detailed provisions for Christians are not to be found in other places in the document. The judicial sector for example remains mostly unreformed. It gains a measure of independence in the new charter by moving the power to choose the prosecutor general from the president to the Supreme Judicial Council. But there is no provision reserving a share of seats on the bench for Christians. The articles in the new constitution concerning the courts are the same articles in the old constitution concerning the courts.
Elsewhere there is nothing to indicate whether the rights of religious minorities will be mirrored in for example educational curricula. Nor are there new mechanisms to hold individuals and institutions accountable for breaches of constitutional rights.
Christians about one-tenth of the population in the officially Islamic country have long been frustrated trying to obtain state jobs. Just as it carved out space for Christians in legislative assemblies the new constitution could have carved out space for Christians in the civil service. But it doesn't.
"It is the best constitution Egypt has had yet but … [it is] still disappointing" said an Egyptian human rights activist who asked not to be named. The military-run interim government waged an intense vote-yes campaign and dissenters – including some of the leaders of the 2011 revolution – have found themselves in trouble with the authorities.
So indeed compared to the last constitution Christians have more rights. However the structural societal bureaucratic and judicial discrimination that has plagued Egypt's Christians since the founding of the Arab Republic has historically been a consequence of the non-implementation of the different constitutions. Without any new enforcement mechanisms it is not likely that much will change for Egypt's Christians. Their rights will remain theoretical.
To put it in the words of a government official from the Egyptian Foreign Service before this week's vote: "This constitution is written for foreigners not for Egyptians. Egyptians do not respect simple traffic rules; How could they respect constitutional articles? No one read the constitution. Still the constitution will be passed with a majority vote of at least 70%."
At best this new constitution represents a return to the pre-Brotherhood status for Egypt's Christians. The wine-skins are new; the wine however is not.
Markus Tozman is a graduate student of the Middle East at Johns Hopkins University SAIS. The views expressed in this analysis are his own.

Anti-religion hostility rose worldwide in 2012 study says. Published: January 15 2014
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The world became generally more hostile to religious believers of all faiths Christianity included in 2012 according to a major annual report issued Jan. 14.
Christians were harassed in more countries than followers of other faiths though pressure on Muslims and Jews was widespread globally according to the study conducted by the Washington D.C.-based Pew Research Center.
The report now in its sixth year measures constraints on religious freedom in two major categories: social hostilities and government restrictions. It surveys conditions in 198 countries encompassing 99 per cent of the world's population.
Social Hostilities. A third of the world's countries had high measures of social hostilities in 2012 the highest level recorded in the study's six-year history. Pew defines social hostilities as ranging from terrorism and mob violence to harassment over religious attire. Nearly half of all countries reported abuse of religious minorities by individuals or groups who took offense at or felt threatened by the minority. In the first year of the study less than a quarter of all countries reported such abuse.
Violence or the threat of it against religious minorities to enforce religious norms was reported in 39 per cent of countries compared to 33 per cent a year earlier and 18 per cent in the first year of the study.
The report said 2012 growth of social hostilities was especially rapid in Northern Africa and the Middle East and was highest in Pakistan.
Government restrictions. High rates of official limits on religion were found in 29 per cent of the countries about the same as the previous year. Pew examines 20 indicators of government control including bans on specific faiths restrictions on conversions and preferential treatment to certain religions among others.
Increases were detected among several of those 20 measures. Government limits on worship were citied in 74 per cent of countries up from 69 per cent in 2011. Restrictions on public preaching were found in 38 per cent of countries up from 31 per cent. And government force such as arrest and prosecution was documented in 48 per cent of the world's countries up from 41 per cent.
Egypt ranked highest on the report's list of government restrictions.
Taking both categories — government restrictions and social hostility — into account high levels of overall religious restrictions were reported in 43 per cent of the world's countries the highest ever recorded by Pew. In all three-quarters of the world's population lives under high levels of restrictions according to the report.
The Christian experience. The Pew Center report concerns itself with all religions not Christianity alone. It did say however that Christians in 2012 were harassed in more countries 110 than any other single religion. Muslims were harassed in 109 and Jews 71. Since the report began in 2007 Christian harassment has been reported in 151 countries and harassment of Muslims in 135.
About the report. The Pew report released Tuesday covers 2012. It doesn't take into account momentous developments in 2013 such as the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi from Egypt's presidency and the subsequent violence against Coptic churches across Egypt; or the anarchy and deadly Muslim-Christian violence in the Central African Republic; or the continued exodus of Christians from Syria and much of the Middle East; or the bombings in Peshawar Pakistan that killed scores of Christians. Pew also excludes North Korea from its study citing the inability to obtain reliable data from or about the reclusive country.
Data for the report is drawn from 18 public information sources most published by national governments the United Nations European Union and non-government human-rights organizations.

Report claims 30000 Eritreans kidnapped in 5 years
Published: December 10 2013 by Julius Mbaluto
Total of $600 million extorted in ransom payments
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Asmara Eritrea.
Carsten ten Brink / Flickr / Creative Commons
A report presented to the European Parliament shows that around 30000 Eritreans have been kidnapped since 2007 and taken to the Sinai while ransom payments are demanded.
The report conducted by an Eritrean human rights activist and professors from a Dutch University says that a total of around $600 million (€468m) was extorted from families. During its launch in London on December 4 it was confirmed that Christians were among the thousands kidnapped.
Eritrea is ranked 10th on the 2013 World Watch List which ranks the 50 countries in which Christians are most under pressure for their faith. According to Eritrea's Evangelical Alliance approximately 1200 Christians are now incarcerated in Eritrea.
After 366 refugees died in early October off the coast of Lampedusa in Italy where they had been attempting to find refuge Father Mussie Zerai Chairman of the Habeshia Agency which works on behalf of these migrants told World Watch Monitor the majority of those involved in the shipwreck were Christians.
"I look at the list of the survivors and 90 per cent is Christian" he said. "They are coming from Eritrea and Ethiopia. The situation is very bad because politically in Eritrea there is a dictator and they live without any type of freedom or democracy. Many Christians are persecuted because of their faith. It's not easy for them to live in Eritrea at this moment."
The report says that Eritrea's Border Surveillance Unit (BSU) and Sudanese Security officials are among the "actors" collaborating with the gangs that hold people hostage in Sinai.
The Eritrean military was also blamed for abducting young people and forcing them to join the National Youth Service while the Eritrean government came under fire for its inability to protect its citizens.
However speaking to BBC's Focus on Africa Eritrean Ambassador to the UK Tesfamicael Gerahtu denied the allegations citing a conspiracy between Eritrean asylum seekers and the West. He said the Eritrean government was doing its best to deal with the criminals.
"Many Christians are persecuted because of their faith. It's not easy for them to live in Eritrea at this moment."
--Father Mussie Zerai
Dawit
One case which highlights the human trafficking journey from Eritrea to Egypt was movingly presented at the report's launch.
Dawit a British citizen from Eritrea said that his sister a single mother was kidnapped on her way to work on July 12.
He said that when she did not come home after work her eldest daughter went to her office but found no sign of her and was told by locals that the business had not opened that day.
The next day Dawit received a call from his mother in Eritrea telling him that she had received a call from someone in Sudan saying that his sister had been kidnapped and demanding $10000 for her release.
Dawit told the gathering that he had no money at the time and that his mother didn't want her son in London to call the kidnappers in case they increased the ransom upon realising that a family member lived and worked in the UK.
Dawit said that he was unable to raise the sufficient funds whereupon his sister was tortured. He said that his mother received phone calls during which his sister was raped and her mother was forced to sister to her screams. With her mother still on the phone the kidnappers also electrocuted her and threatened to kill her unless the ransom could be paid.
Eventually Dawit was able to raise the money by selling his car and borrowing money. The ransom was then paid but the kidnappers failed to release his sister despite their promises to do so.
Dawit's sister was eventually said to have been released to the Egyptian authorities but he has since heard no word from her. He says that his sister's ordeal shows that the Eritrea government cannot protect its citizens.
Dawit's efforts to get the UK government's help in securing his sister failed. However Stop Sinai Torture activists reported that they have since held meetings with the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and there is a strong move to gather evidence and to prosecute the perpetrators.
Selam Kidane at the European Parliament
Release Eritrea
Selam Kidane a human rights activist said that the average amount demanded by kidnappers has increased over the years from $5000 in 2009 to $30000 today. Kidane said that even those who were released were severely traumatised.
The report claims that those released in Egypt and Israel were generally opposed to returning home but were forced to return and in Egypt were ordered to pay a repatriation fee.
Meanwhile the report claims those released in Libya are often detained tortured raped and forced to work for free.

Algerian churches NGOs wary as 'restrictive' law comes into force
Published: January 10 2014
Protestant Church concerned Amnesty International and EU head call for repeal of 'draconian' law. Mustapha Krim President of the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA).
World Watch Monitor
A number of churches as well as foreign NGOs in Algeria have called for the abolishment of a new law which they say will hamper their work.
Under the law which will come into effect on Sunday (January 12) NGOs may be dissolved or suspended if their business is deemed to interfere with national affairs.
Those who fail to comply with the law by January 12 will be liable to prosecution.
Amnesty International claims the law gives Algerian authorities permission to restrict the work of foreign NGOs including human rights organisations.
The law was passed in January 2012 as part of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's political reforms but it has been criticised by Amnesty International as "draconian".
In a statement released on December 18 2013 by its bureau in Algiers the human rights organisation said the law threatens freedom and democracy.
"The new Algerian law on associations should be repealed before the expiry of the deadline in January set for existing associations to get registered in order to avoid irreparable damage to Algerian civil society. This draconian law could lead to the closure of independent organisations and civil society and stifle debate on key political social and economic issues" said Amnesty's statement.
The organisation adds that the law "arbitrarily restricts the right to freedom of association and elevated it de facto to a criminal offense in violation of state obligations prescribed by international human rights law".
The Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA) is among a number of other local organisations concerned by the new law.
The law stipulates that an association must be present in at least 12 regions out of a total of 48 across the country in order to be granted national status. Previously the EPA in Algeria was present in only five regions so it has been obliged to obtain the affiliation of other churches located across seven additional regions in order to comply.
"We sent an updated version of our constitution to the Ministry of the Interior at the end of November just two weeks after our general assembly" explained Pastor Mustapha Krim president of the EPA. "We were advised by a lawyer to ensure we introduce our application in the right way. We have done everything necessary to comply with this new law."
Under the provisions of the new law the Ministry of Interior will either issue a receipt of approval or a decision of refusal within 60 days.
Already facing restrictions due to the controversial 2006 law forcing churches to register with the state the provisions of this new law will further limit the activities of churches in Algeria.
The 2006 also law outlaws any Christian evangelism of Muslims as well as the distribution production and storing of material used for this purpose.
A group of associations including the Algerian League for Human Rights (LADDH) has called for a national campaign against the law.
The European Union has also expressed its concern. "We hope that these practical difficulties in the implementation of this law which are not quite the same for all associations will be lifted to facilitate the work of associations" said the head of the EU delegation of Algeria Marek Skolil during a press conference on December 22 in Algiers.

Two pastors killed in Kenya Published: October 29 2013 by Julius Mbaluto
Perpetrators must be arrested and security increased say church leaders. Mombasa.
Lauren Pressley / Flickr / Creative Commons Two pastors from southern coastal towns in Kenya were killed last weekend in separate attacks. Charles Mathole a leader of Mombasa's Redeemed Gospel Church in Mtopanga was found dead in church on the morning of Sunday October 20 shot in the head and with a Bible in his lap. A member of the choir in his church said he seemed to have been preparing the Sunday morning service when he was shot. In Kilifi about 60 kilometres north of Mombasa the body of a pastor with the East African Pentecostal Churches Ibrahim Kithaka was found dumped in a patch of bushes near Madamani trading centre in Vitengeni according to members of his church. The two deaths come just a few days after the coastal town of Mombasa witnessed its worst rioting in recent years after the drive-by shooting of a Muslim Imam Ibrahim Rogo itself in the aftermath of the Westgate mall attack.
Rioters protesting against Rogo's death had burned a Salvation Army Church in Kenya's second largest city and four people lost their lives during the protests).
One local pastor whose name is being withheld for security reasons told World Watch Monitor the atmosphere remained tense following the murder of Sheikh Rogo and his three companions.
"Church leaders have all received threatening text messages in the past but they have increased since the sheikh was killed" he said. "The text messages from an unknown number say: 'Be prepared we are coming for you.' We reported them to the police but no arrests have been made.
Another local pastor said that Muslim leaders had openly incited local youth against Christians in the previous few weeks.
"They abused us very badly" he said. "We reported to the OCPD [Officer Commanding Police Division] who promised to disband the meeting but did not. We also hear [rumours] that [extremists] have targeted five specific churches for destruction. We do not know which churches those are but we have informed the police of this too."
In a statement released on October 21 Mombasa Church Forum pastors called on the government to intensify security.
"The Mombasa Church Forum categorically states that no attack on Christians or their church leaders will deter us from our way of worship and our freedom of religion. To the perpetrators of these heinous attacks we hereby state that we will not be intimidated and will continue to worship our Lord in our churches" said Bishop Wilfred Lai Chairman of the Mombasa Church Forum.
Assistant Police Commissioner Vincent Kibaara said that Pastor Kithaka was in the process of setting up a church in the Muryachakwe area of Kilifi and it is believed he was attacked while travelling home.
The police chief said they were looking for two boys seen with the pastor before he was killed. "We are yet to get leads on what transpired but we are looking for the two boys last seen with the pastor. I am sure they will shed some light on his death" said Mr Kibaara.
Kilifi County Deputy Speaker Teddy Mwambire and Governor Amason Kingi asked Kilifi County Police Commander James Kithuka to clean up his office and fight crime. The acting Mombasa County Commissioner Mohamed Salim said police are investigating the incidents and asked for patience.
Kenya which has a Christian majority of 85 per cent has little history of interfaith tensions. However in recent years this has changed.
Kenyan forces have been in Somalia since 2011.
Albany Associates / Flickr / Creative Commons
One factor has been Kenya's military involvement in Somalia since October 2011 and the retaliatory response of the Islamic extremist group Al-Shabaab which swore to attack Kenya until her troops were called back home from Somalia.
Recent attacks at Westgate Mall in Nairobi saw the terrorists force many of their captives to recite the Islamic prayer. Those who were not able were deemed 'Kafirs' or non-believers and were killed (although Muslims also died in Westgate so it was not clear-cut).
The terrorists were seen in recent CCTV footage praying inside Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi after killing 67 people including women and children and injuring over 200 others.
Kenyan Christian and Muslim leaders together condemned the Westgate attack telling Kenyans that they should not be divided by religion. Kenya's former Prime Minister backed this campaign saying that Islam is a religion of peace and never condones killing therefore the killers were terrorists and not true Muslims.
Al-Shabaab's campaign has been felt in many church quarters and in Kenya as a whole. Many churches now have routine security checks. Now the Westgate attacks seem to have increased Kenyans' resolve to win the battle against Al-Shabaab. Whereas the attackers demanded the withdrawal of Kenya's troops from Somalia President Uhuru Kenyatta was quoted as saying Kenyan troops will stay in Somalia until that country "gets its house in order".
However there is another dimension to the assault on Christians in Kenya. In north-east Kenya tension has been high for much longer than Kenya's involvement in fighting Al-Shabaab across the border.
Analysts say this assault is also about ridding the Muslim-dominated north east of its Christians an Islamist agenda for Kenya and a secessionist agenda in the region.
In February this year two pastors Abdi Welli and Ibrahim Makunyi were shot by unknown gunmen who killed the one and wounded the other. The two pastors were leaders in the East Africa Pentecostal church in Garissa in northern Kenya.
Kenya is a new arrival at No. 40 on the World Watch List which charts the countries where life as a Christian is most difficult.
"Kenya has come under the grip of Islamic extremism more and more and this is a source of hostility against Christians" reports the List. "Thousands of Somalis continue to cross the border into Kenya as the situation in Somalia worsens causing much instability in Kenya. Members of the extremist Islamic movement in Somalia therefore also cross into the north-eastern and coastal regions of Kenya spreading their extremist views and this is where the majority of Christian persecution takes place."
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Two pastors killed in Kenya Published: October 29 2013 by Julius Mbaluto
Perpetrators must be arrested and security increased say church leaders. Mombasa.
Lauren Pressley / Flickr / Creative Commons Two pastors from southern coastal towns in Kenya were killed last weekend in separate attacks. Charles Mathole a leader of Mombasa's Redeemed Gospel Church in Mtopanga was found dead in church on the morning of Sunday October 20 shot in the head and with a Bible in his lap. A member of the choir in his church said he seemed to have been preparing the Sunday morning service when he was shot. In Kilifi about 60 kilometres north of Mombasa the body of a pastor with the East African Pentecostal Churches Ibrahim Kithaka was found dumped in a patch of bushes near Madamani trading centre in Vitengeni according to members of his church. The two deaths come just a few days after the coastal town of Mombasa witnessed its worst rioting in recent years after the drive-by shooting of a Muslim Imam Ibrahim Rogo itself in the aftermath of the Westgate mall attack.
Rioters protesting against Rogo's death had burned a Salvation Army Church in Kenya's second largest city and four people lost their lives during the protests).
One local pastor whose name is being withheld for security reasons told World Watch Monitor the atmosphere remained tense following the murder of Sheikh Rogo and his three companions.
"Church leaders have all received threatening text messages in the past but they have increased since the sheikh was killed" he said. "The text messages from an unknown number say: 'Be prepared we are coming for you.' We reported them to the police but no arrests have been made.
Another local pastor said that Muslim leaders had openly incited local youth against Christians in the previous few weeks.
"They abused us very badly" he said. "We reported to the OCPD [Officer Commanding Police Division] who promised to disband the meeting but did not. We also hear [rumours] that [extremists] have targeted five specific churches for destruction. We do not know which churches those are but we have informed the police of this too."
In a statement released on October 21 Mombasa Church Forum pastors called on the government to intensify security.
"The Mombasa Church Forum categorically states that no attack on Christians or their church leaders will deter us from our way of worship and our freedom of religion. To the perpetrators of these heinous attacks we hereby state that we will not be intimidated and will continue to worship our Lord in our churches" said Bishop Wilfred Lai Chairman of the Mombasa Church Forum.
Assistant Police Commissioner Vincent Kibaara said that Pastor Kithaka was in the process of setting up a church in the Muryachakwe area of Kilifi and it is believed he was attacked while travelling home.
The police chief said they were looking for two boys seen with the pastor before he was killed. "We are yet to get leads on what transpired but we are looking for the two boys last seen with the pastor. I am sure they will shed some light on his death" said Mr Kibaara.
Kilifi County Deputy Speaker Teddy Mwambire and Governor Amason Kingi asked Kilifi County Police Commander James Kithuka to clean up his office and fight crime. The acting Mombasa County Commissioner Mohamed Salim said police are investigating the incidents and asked for patience.
Kenya which has a Christian majority of 85 per cent has little history of interfaith tensions. However in recent years this has changed.
Kenyan forces have been in Somalia since 2011.
Albany Associates / Flickr / Creative Commons
One factor has been Kenya's military involvement in Somalia since October 2011 and the retaliatory response of the Islamic extremist group Al-Shabaab which swore to attack Kenya until her troops were called back home from Somalia.
Recent attacks at Westgate Mall in Nairobi saw the terrorists force many of their captives to recite the Islamic prayer. Those who were not able were deemed 'Kafirs' or non-believers and were killed (although Muslims also died in Westgate so it was not clear-cut).
The terrorists were seen in recent CCTV footage praying inside Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi after killing 67 people including women and children and injuring over 200 others.
Kenyan Christian and Muslim leaders together condemned the Westgate attack telling Kenyans that they should not be divided by religion. Kenya's former Prime Minister backed this campaign saying that Islam is a religion of peace and never condones killing therefore the killers were terrorists and not true Muslims.
Al-Shabaab's campaign has been felt in many church quarters and in Kenya as a whole. Many churches now have routine security checks. Now the Westgate attacks seem to have increased Kenyans' resolve to win the battle against Al-Shabaab. Whereas the attackers demanded the withdrawal of Kenya's troops from Somalia President Uhuru Kenyatta was quoted as saying Kenyan troops will stay in Somalia until that country "gets its house in order".
However there is another dimension to the assault on Christians in Kenya. In north-east Kenya tension has been high for much longer than Kenya's involvement in fighting Al-Shabaab across the border.
Analysts say this assault is also about ridding the Muslim-dominated north east of its Christians an Islamist agenda for Kenya and a secessionist agenda in the region.
In February this year two pastors Abdi Welli and Ibrahim Makunyi were shot by unknown gunmen who killed the one and wounded the other. The two pastors were leaders in the East Africa Pentecostal church in Garissa in northern Kenya.
Kenya is a new arrival at No. 40 on the World Watch List which charts the countries where life as a Christian is most difficult.
"Kenya has come under the grip of Islamic extremism more and more and this is a source of hostility against Christians" reports the List. "Thousands of Somalis continue to cross the border into Kenya as the situation in Somalia worsens causing much instability in Kenya. Members of the extremist Islamic movement in Somalia therefore also cross into the north-eastern and coastal regions of Kenya spreading their extremist views and this is where the majority of Christian persecution takes place."
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Algerian churches NGOs wary as 'restrictive' law comes into force
Published: January 10 2014
Protestant Church concerned Amnesty International and EU head call for repeal of 'draconian' law. Mustapha Krim President of the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA).
World Watch Monitor
A number of churches as well as foreign NGOs in Algeria have called for the abolishment of a new law which they say will hamper their work.
Under the law which will come into effect on Sunday (January 12) NGOs may be dissolved or suspended if their business is deemed to interfere with national affairs.
Those who fail to comply with the law by January 12 will be liable to prosecution.
Amnesty International claims the law gives Algerian authorities permission to restrict the work of foreign NGOs including human rights organisations.
The law was passed in January 2012 as part of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's political reforms but it has been criticised by Amnesty International as "draconian".
In a statement released on December 18 2013 by its bureau in Algiers the human rights organisation said the law threatens freedom and democracy.
"The new Algerian law on associations should be repealed before the expiry of the deadline in January set for existing associations to get registered in order to avoid irreparable damage to Algerian civil society. This draconian law could lead to the closure of independent organisations and civil society and stifle debate on key political social and economic issues" said Amnesty's statement.
The organisation adds that the law "arbitrarily restricts the right to freedom of association and elevated it de facto to a criminal offense in violation of state obligations prescribed by international human rights law".
The Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA) is among a number of other local organisations concerned by the new law.
The law stipulates that an association must be present in at least 12 regions out of a total of 48 across the country in order to be granted national status. Previously the EPA in Algeria was present in only five regions so it has been obliged to obtain the affiliation of other churches located across seven additional regions in order to comply.
"We sent an updated version of our constitution to the Ministry of the Interior at the end of November just two weeks after our general assembly" explained Pastor Mustapha Krim president of the EPA. "We were advised by a lawyer to ensure we introduce our application in the right way. We have done everything necessary to comply with this new law."
Under the provisions of the new law the Ministry of Interior will either issue a receipt of approval or a decision of refusal within 60 days.
Already facing restrictions due to the controversial 2006 law forcing churches to register with the state the provisions of this new law will further limit the activities of churches in Algeria.
The 2006 also law outlaws any Christian evangelism of Muslims as well as the distribution production and storing of material used for this purpose.
A group of associations including the Algerian League for Human Rights (LADDH) has called for a national campaign against the law.
The European Union has also expressed its concern. "We hope that these practical difficulties in the implementation of this law which are not quite the same for all associations will be lifted to facilitate the work of associations" said the head of the EU delegation of Algeria Marek Skolil during a press conference on December 22 in Algiers.﻿

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Published: June 22, 2015Having spent most of his adult life either harassed, in hiding, or in jail, former Muslim now Christian Mohamed Hegazy can expect more of the same. Hegazy, who has been in prison since December 2, 2013, is known to be the first Egyptian to openly seek a change from Muslim to Christian

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stopyouporntubesatan's channel 53 iscritti I am King Israel Unius REI Chiedete ad Israele di costruire il 3° tempio ebraico a Gerusalemme: se ne è capace!!! I am a politician with a universal divine command to restore the Kingdom of Israel, to the blessing of all nations, that is why, it is called: "Kingdom﻿ of Palestine"

The question is often asked, "What do you mean by the term creation model" ? A model is a framework around which observations and facts are organized. Thus, the creation model is a framework of information in which the universe and its living systems are explained as having been designed and sustained.

In the course of forty years involving Biblical and scientific research, our Director has formulated a composite Creation Model. Its basic tenets are held by leading creationists. In addition to these basic pillars, distinctive research programs have led to specific areas of refinement in this particular model. An outline of this model follows.

On the first Saturday of each month, our director, Dr. Carl Baugh, gives the "Director's Lecture Series", with a different scientific topic presented each month. The lectures are held at the museum. Lecture times are 11:00 & 2:00 p.m.